I was expecting an article about how to spend money on your friends so they don't feel like you're going to ask them favours in return. Turns out the article i

I was expecting an article about how to spend money on your friends so they don't feel like you're going to ask them favours in return. Turns out the article is not about this at all. But. Dammit, I can likely afford to take some friends to a (local) restaurant and pay the whole bill, no questions asked about contents of those fancy drinks. I'm very unlikely to have time or skill to cook for 14 myself. I would go to a restaurant with someone after making sure that them volunteering to pay the bill is not a "yes, but actually no". If someone invited me to a home party I would certainly feel more than obligated to participate in bringing in produce, booze, and sharing the labour of preparing the food and cleaning up after. I can afford to rent some place to escape, but owning a whole cottage on the cape? Are you saying it's better to own a cottage just so that invitation is not awkward for you? I can't wrap my head around the concept. I would surely be curious about the costs of having such a thing. The whole feel of the piece is incredibly first world to me. The author (and their friends) seem like people who would smirk at you if you only had one yacht, or if your golf course was too small. Book a hotel, and it's awkward. Just buy a cottage instead.